There is presently a need for an improved device for compacting trash and the like which is particularly adapted for use in retail establishments, such as supermarkets, small department stores and shopping centers, as well as office buildings, apartments and other establishments of a like nature. Presently, the most common method of collecting trash and like products from such establishments is to pick up the trash and carry it to a remote site, after compacting on a vehicle. Compacting on the vehicle is relatively inefficient because the material has an opportunity to expand considerably after each loading and compacting operation. Also, there is usually no provision for baling the material on the vehicle, so that unloading is difficult and inefficient.
While certain machines have been developed to compact and bale at sites of the type referred to above, these machines have not generally been widely accepted. The prior art devices have design defects which have resulted in hang-up of a compacting pressure plate or platen. Also, many of the proposed prior art devices have been relatively complex, and therefore expensive.